IT Policy of Nepal 2057 (2000)
1.
Vision
"To place
Nepal on the global map of information technology within the next five
years."
The world's least
developed countries including Nepal have availed themselves of the opportunity
to rapidly develop education, health, agriculture, tourism, trade and various
other sectors using information technology (IT). The extensive application of this
technology will engender economic consolidation, development of democratic
norms and values, proportional distribution of economic resources and
enhancement of public awareness, thereby raising living standards and
eventually contribute significantly to poverty alleviation. It is the
information technology, which will turn out to be a strong infrastructure for
mitigating Nepal's geographical adversities. In the coming years, globally,
there will be a significant difference in the economic conditions of the
countries developed in the field of information technology and of the countries
lagging behind in this field. The persistence of such disparities may not be
congenial even for the developed countries. In this context, there is a greater
possibility that the international community will extend its support to
developing countries in the promotion of information technology. Such
assistance will certainly play a vital role in the national development of a
least developed country like Nepal. Hence, it has become essential to formulate
a policy at the earliest for developing information technology with a view to
boosting up national economy.
The information
technology policy shall be formulated to achieve the following objectives:
3.1 To make information
technology accessible to the general public and increase employment through
this means,
3.2 To build a
knowledge-based society, and
3.3 To establish
knowledge-based industries.
The following
information technology strategies shall be adopted to accomplish the
above-mentioned objectives through rapid development and extension of
information technology in a fair and competitive manner.
4.1 The government
shall act as a promoter, facilitator and regulator.
4.2 High priority
shall be accorded to research, development and extension of information
technology with participation of private sectors.
4.3 Competent
manpower shall be developed with the participation of both the public and the
private sectors for the sustainable development and extension of information
technology.
4.4 Domestic and
foreign investment shall be encouraged for the development of information
technology and the related infrastructures.
4.5 Nepal shall be
placed on the global map of information technology.
4.6 E-commerce shall
be promoted with legal provisions.
4.7 Information
technology shall be used to assist e-governance.
4.8 Information
technology shall be applied for rural development.
4.9 Information
technology industry shall be promoted.
4.10 Speedy and
qualitative service shall be made available at a reasonable cost by creating a
healthy and competitive atmosphere among information technology service
providers.
4.11 Computer
education shall be incorporated in academic curriculum starting from the school
level.
4.12 Professional
efficiency shall be enhanced through the use of information technology.
4.13 Information
technology network shall be extended to rural areas.
4.14 Nepal shall
be placed on the international market through information technology.
4.15 Export of services
related to information technology (software and hardware) shall be increased to
10 billion rupees within the next five years.
5. Information Technology Policy:
The following
policies shall be followed up for the implementation of the aforesaid strategies:
5.1. To declare
information technology sector a priority sector,
5.2. To adopt one
window system for the development of information technology,
5.3. To priorities
research and development in the field of information technology,
5.4. To create an
atmosphere conducive to attracting investment in the private sector, keeping in
view the private sector’s role in the development of information technology,
5.5. To provide
Internet facilities gradually to all Village Development Committees of the
country,
5.6. To assist
educational institutions and encourage domestic and foreign training to fulfill
the requirement of appropriate manpower at various levels pertaining to
information technology,
5.7. To
computerize the system in all government offices and build their websites for
the flow of information,
5.8. To encourage
the use of computers in private sectors,
5.9. To develop
physical and virtual information technology parks at various places with
private sector’s participation in the development of information technology,
5.10.To use
information technology to promote e-commerce, education, e-health among
others, and to transfer technology to rural areas.
5.11.To establish
a National Information Technology Center,
5.12.To establish
a fund at the national level by mobilizing resources from His Majesty’s
Government, donor agencies and private sectors so as to promote research and
development of information technology and other related activities,
5.13.To establish
a venture capital fund with joint participation of public and private sectors,
5.14.To include
computer education in the curriculum starting from the school level and broaden
its scope,
5.15.To establish
Nepal in the global market through the use of information technology,
5.16.To enact
necessary laws for providing legal sanctions to the use of information
technology,
5.17.To use
information technology gradually in all government activities and provide legal
sanctions to them.
The following
action plan shall be adopted to implement the national information technology
policy and fulfill its objectives:
6.2.1 An
info-super highway and north-south info-highway shall be built taking into
account the rapidity of information flow, changes introduced through
information flow and the gradual development of multimedia service. Nepal shall
be linked with other parts of the world through a broadband information
network.
6.2.2 An IT park
shall be established at Banepa in Kabhrepalanchok District. Such IT Parks shall
be established also elsewhere as required with private sector's participation.
6.2.3 Any company
interested in establishing an industry within the park shall be levied only 1%
customs duty in importing IT related equipment for the next five years.
6.2.4 Internet
nodes shall be established in all development regions by fiscal year 2058/059
(2001/2002) and in district headquarters by fiscal year 2060/61 (2003/2004)
with participation of the private sector in order to make Internet facility
available throughout the Kingdom. In making telephone contact with such nodes,
the telephone charge shall be levied on par with local calls; and telephone
contact with a nearby node within the development region shall be deemed to be
a local call, so long as the node in that district is not established. The use
of the Internet shall be gradually extended to rural areas as well. The charge
for telephone calls to be used for the Internet shall be gradually reduced.
6.2.5
Telecommunications and electricity services shall be provided to the
entrepreneurs involved in information technology sector as per their need.
6.3 Human Resource
Development : The following measures shall be adopted to develop skilled
manpower :
6.3.1 Necessary
facilities shall be provided to the universities in the country and graduate
and postgraduate-level classes of international standard shall be offered in
computer science and computer engineering subjects.
6.3.2 A long-term
programme with a slogan “Computer education to all by 2010 A.D.” shall be
formulated and computer education shall be offered as an optional subject in
some public secondary schools from the coming academic year and shall be made a
compulsory subject in phases.
6.3.3 IT shall be
used to improve the quality of education.
6.3.4 Private
sector shall be encouraged to prepare middle-level manpower required for the
information technology sector. Assistance shall be provided to the private
sector to set up institutions for education, research and development in the
field of information technology in each development region.
6.3.5 Computer
knowledge shall gradually be made compulsory to all newly-recruited teachers so
as to introduce computer education in schools; and computer education shall
also be provided to all in-service teachers in phases using various means
including distant education.
6.3.6 Emphasis
shall be given to provide computer education from the school level. Internet
facility shall be made available free of cost to universities and public
schools for four hours a day within the next five years to provide computer
education in a systematic way.
6.3.7 His
Majesty’s Government shall provide scholarships to public and private sector
technologists for higher study in information technology.
6.3.8 Necessary
scholarships shall be provided to poor and meritorious students from remote
areas to pursue higher studies in information technology.
6.4 Dissemination
of Information Technology : The following measures shall be followed up for the
extensive dissemination of information technology :
6.4.1 Educational
institutions and hospitals in the areas where telecommunication and electricity
services are already available shall be encouraged to use IT enabled services.
Even in places where electricity service is not available, the development of
information technology through solar power system shall be encouraged.
6.4.2 Distant
learning system shall be introduced through the Internet and Intranet apart
from radio and television. Networking systems like school-net, research-net,
commerce-net and multilingual computing shall be developed.
6.4.3 A three-year
programme shall be formulated and launched to extend the use of computer in
government offices. All ministries, departments and offices shall be linked to
the Internet; and other agencies shall also be encouraged to be linked through
the Internet.
6.4.4 Websites for
all ministries, departments and district offices shall be created within one
year. Necessary legal provisions shall be made to reduce the use of papers by
using information technology in all kinds of government activities in a phased
manner.
6.4.5 An action
plan shall be devised and introduced to include computer education as a subject
for the examination of a specified rank and make it obligatory for the
applicants taking a written examination during recruitment. Provisions shall
also be made for prescribing basic computer training as a requirement for the
promotion of employees.
6.4.6 Content
shall be prepared to enhance Nepali materials on the Internet to preserve
Nepali arts and culture as well as to develop rural areas.
6.4.7 A public
awareness-enhancing campaign on the utility of information technology shall be
launched extensively through the electronic media.
6.4.8 Provision
shall be made for an information officer in each ministry in a phased manner.
6.4.9 In view of
the present development of information technology, provisions shall be made to
open voice-mail to talk point-to-point for one’s own business without a link to
the public switched telephone network.
6.5 Promotion of
E-commerce, etc. : E-business, tele-medicine, tele-processing, distant
learning, and the like shall be promoted as follows :
6.5.1 Necessary
arrangements shall be made to encourage e-commerce.
6.5.2 Necessary
legal infrastructure shall be created for the promotion of tele-medicine,
distant learning, tele-processing and e-commerce.
6.5.3 Intellectual
property right shall be protected through the formulation of necessary laws in
relation to the development of information technology.
6.5.4 Provisions
shall be made for the export of software and IT–enabled services through IT in
the following ways:
(a) The person or
organisation concerned shall submit certified copies of the documents on
agreements relating to export to the Nepal Rastra Bank.
(b) Invoice or
bill of exportation made under the agreements referred to in clause (a) shall
be submitted to the Nepal Rastra Bank.
(c) The Bank shall
validate foreign currency earned on the basis of such documents.
6.6 Facilities :
The following facilities shall be provided for the development of information
technology sector :
6.6.1 One percent
(1%) customs duty shall be levied on hardware, software and all kinds of
computer spare parts imported by training institutions related to information
technology, albeit on the recommendation of the National Information Technology
Center on the basis of services rendered and the achievements of such
institutions.
6.6.2 As software
development and services based on software are operated twenty-four hours, such
services shall be declared essential services to guarantee regular production
by employees working in the companies related to such services, and
arrangements shall be made accordingly.
6.6.3 A venture
capital fund shall be established by utilizing capital market with the joint
investment of His Majesty’s Government and private sector. His Majesty’s
Government shall make an investment of 100 million rupees initially for such a
fund.
6.6.4 Domestic
preference shall be given in accordance with the prevailing law on computers,
spare-parts and software produced within the country.
6.6.5 Software may
be directly depreciated for the purposes of income tax, whereas equipment
relating to information technology may be allowed an accelerated depreciation
in two years.
6.6.6 In case an
investment has been made in foreign currency either as a loan or share capital
required to build and operate infrastructure, the investor shall be allowed to
repatriate the principal amount and interest of the loan and dividends in accordance
with the prevailing laws.
6.6.7 The foreign
currency earned from exporting information technology software and services
shall be granted facilities on par with facilities provided to other
export-oriented industries earning foreign currency.
6.6.8 An information
technology development fund shall be established to create public awareness
about information technology, assist rural networking, develop information
technology with market management, generate required manpower for this sector
and make social services easily accessible where such technology is used.
Arrangements shall be made for financial contributions towards this fund from
His Majesty’s Government, private sector, donor agencies and others. The
National Information Technology Center (NITC) shall operate this fund. A
feasibility study shall be carried out to mobilize additional financial
resources by establishing information technology bond.
6.6.9 Export of
software shall be subjected to an additional service charge of 0.5 % for the
information technology fund, in addition to customs duties. The amount obtained
from that charge shall be deposited in the fund referred to in clause 6.6.8.
6.6.10 As Nepali
nationals working abroad can play an important role in technology transfer and
market promotion in this sector, they shall be encouraged to invest their
foreign currency earnings in this sector.
7.1 The National
Information Technology Development Council, consisting of the following
members, shall be constituted under the chairmanship of the Rt. Honorable
Prime Minister.
7.2 The National
Information Technology Council shall review and revise information technology
policy, appraise annual progress and solve problems that may arise and carry
out such other activities as it may deem necessary for the development and
extension of the information technology sector.
Member-Secretary
7.4 National Information Technology Centre : This Centre shall be
set up under the Ministry of Science and Technology. As per requirements, its
regional and district-level offices shall be established. It shall carry out
the following functions :
(a) Act as a data
bank of information and assist in computerisation of records in government
offices and in developing and expanding contents,
(b) Act as the
Secretariat of the National Information Technology Development Council and the
National Information Technology Co-ordination Committee, implement or get
implemented the policy and plan on information science and information
technology, monitor and supervise the same and regulate the activities carried
out by the private sector and submit reports on these activities to the
council,
(d) Act as a
regulator for the healthy development of information technology,
(e) Arrange for
coding and standardization required to bring about uniformity with respect to
information technology and implement and monitor it.
Necessary laws
shall be enacted to regulate transactions to be carried out through information
technology as well as other necessary arrangements pertaining to this
technology and to protect intellectual property right.
This policy may be
reviewed and amended every two years in view of technological development and
expansion of services resulting from rapid developments in the information
technology sector. Nonetheless, at the suggestion of various sectors, it may be
reviewed and amended if necessary even prior to this period.